Sunday, July 6, 2014

We are honored to be among the 4 traveling couples included in the "Travel Tips for Couples" editorial on AdventuretoAnywhere.com and we're sharing our TOP 2 TIPS here! Be sure to check out the original post to read all 11 pointers for smooth sailing on your next voyage.

The Nomadic Newlyweds Top 2 Travel Tips for Couples:(say that three times fast, whew!)

1. Schedule Downtime.

Plan out every minute of your adventure…then delete ¼ of the itinerary. Put RELAX on the calendar…go ahead – write it in! Prioritizing downtime is key to keeping your cool despite the travel blunders that will surely arise. This will help you enjoy your expedition and enable you to savor the company of your travel partner!

2. Be Authentically Spontaneous.

Don’t do it for the photo. Your most beautiful and romantic moments will happen when you aren’t concerned with your social media following. (That being said – we always have the point-and-shoot camera in an accessible pocket – photos are important, just not more-so than the experience.)

Keeping these tips in mind truly helps us experience our adventures more fully – here’s hoping they help you, too!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

I say skip the Eiffel Tower. (If you know your visit to Paris will be a brief one, that is.) Why spend your precious hours in
line below the tower, when you can enjoy its splendor from various spots
around this stunning city?

In the 1890’s a Parisian might have
suggested the opposite. In fact, the writer Guy de Maupassant was noted as having spent his lunch hours eating from the restaurant inside the tower…so as to
remove the “eyesore” from his view!

The tower, built for the 1889 World’s
Fair, celebrates the 100 year anniversary of the French Revolution and was
meant to be standing only temporarily (a two year arrangement and then it was to be disassembled).
Clearly though, the Parisians not only became used to the mammoth tower but eventually got in line
with the rest of the world who already revered it for its originality and unique
beauty. Most importantly, though, it gained recognition for its usefulness as a
radiotelegraph station during WWI and again in WWII.

French stories have it that
during the German occupation of Paris the resistance fighters cut the tower’s
elevator cables, forcing the Nazis to climb the immense stairs.

Today the structure, that took nearly
20,000 pieces of iron and over two million rivets to assemble, employs over 500
workers to upkeep its daily operations! It welcomes 7 million visitors per year,
which is more than any other paid tourist attraction in the world.

One of the most notable visitors
of all time is Thomas Edison. Reading on the grandeur of the World’s Fair, I revel
for a moment imaging this scene:

When Thomas Edison visited Paris
to ascend the great iron spectacle, Eiffel invited him to his private apartment within the tower.
High above the City of Lights they were serenaded on the piano by the composer
of Faust, Charles Gounod, before Edison demonstrated his latest talking phonograph.

As this surreal scene pieces
together in my mind, I can’t help but ask a very practical question: “How did
they get a piano into this apartment in the sky!?”. After a bit of research, I have
found that this piano was lifted by crane and placed within the designer’s home
before the completion of its construction!

Once the tallest building in the
world (surpassed after 41 years with the erection of the Chrysler Building
in New York City), the Eiffel Tower
covers 2.5 acres of land and require 50 tons of paint every seven years. This
world famous icon is also referred to as “La dame de fer”, which means The Iron Lady: A fitting
name for the strong yet delicate design.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

In the name of full disclosure, I must tell you: Paris was
not included on the original itinerary for our honeymoon.

Don’t hate me, but I’ve been and while I think it’s a lovely
place, it has simply never spoken to me (more less whispered sweet nothings in my
ear the way it surely does to nearly every other human who visits!).

Paris gets around. She knows many lovers…but,
thus far, Paris and I have had no chemistry.

My mother and father-in-law adore the city. They’ve been
here a number of times and were crushed that my husband wasn’t going to experience
it. So, Paris was added thanks to their loving
persuasion…and, I must admit, Paris
stepped up its game this time.

I love history and I’m a sucker for a great revolution story
– so you’d think this glittering city would have already won my heart, but not
until tonight.

Our hotel is just steps away from the famous TuileriesGardens. Created by Catherine de
Medicis, these gardens were private for a century before opening up to the
public (just after the French Revolution). Now, in the 21st century: on any given day, these beautiful grounds can be
enjoyed by the public for relaxation and socialization. That’s all fine and dandy…but for a few months during the summer, these peaceful gardens are turned
into a wonderland that enchants the young and the old alike…

I’m like a moth to the flashing-carnival-light-flame.

I love
the cheap games and the bing-bang-cling-clang noises of the rickety old rides.
I think ferris wheels are charming, nostalgic and downright romantic. I dig
the adrenaline rush of being scared out of my wits by a hideous clown as I get
lost in the maze of mirrors in a fun house. So as we stroll out of our
hotel in search of food and adventure, I squeal with delight when I spot the
high-flyer spinning up above, with the EiffelTower
twinkling behind it.

A gorgeous twist on the dirty, crowd-ridden fairs we
experience each summer in the Midwest (again,
not knocking them – I love them, goat auctions and all), this festival is
saturated with European class - Stocked with vintage crepe carts and
merry-go-rounds adorned with horses dating back to 1900!

What was meant to be a
pit stop before a fancy dinner has turned into an evening of cheap French wine
sipped from plastic stemware, hotdogs smothered in spicy mustard, and an array
of flavored crepes – (not the least of which is a Grand Marnier crepe that I
believe may leave me with a headache tomorrow!)

We throw a few bucks away playing rigged games before we
get the nerve to brave the fun house. We scramble as the floor drops from
beneath us and we dizzily flop forward from a spinning trap. When our path
leads us to a quiet (and, in retrospect, remarkably unstable) ledge atop the fun house, we take
a break from the craziness to enjoy the City of Lights lit up in all its glory in the dark night. This
vantage point is lovely, we can see the carnival below and the sparking city
all around.

The only way down is through a huge, swirling slide. When we
emerge from the giant tunnel, laughing hysterically, my hubby points out that
the butt of my pristine white slacks is black with fun-house-grunge.

The
absurdity of the evening was well worth the fashion sacrifice.

Paris
has won a piece of my heart through this silly festival. I’ve met the low-key,
goofy side of the city – and we are getting along swell.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Our
weekend in Paris, France begins ideally as we emerge from the underground
subway station…popping up into the hustle and bustle of the city we turn one
slight corner and are watching the sun set, right through the glass pyramid of
the Louvre.

Having
only stood here for roughly 20 years, this clear structure has quickly
become an iconic landmark for the City of Lights. Though its striking
appearance is an obvious lure, the commissioning of this piece was of a
practical nature: The museum’s main entrance could not handle the immense
amount of patrons it welcomed each day. Now, the pyramid design allows for
visitors to descend into the spacious lobby and then re-ascend into the main
buildings – distributing the crowds efficiently throughout the museum. Reading
about the Louvre on the train this morning, I learned that the pyramids
designer, I. M. Pei, is also credited with having designed the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame inCleveland,Ohio!
Oooh-la-la! Sophisticated Midwest, taking notes from France!

Though
we are exhausted from a day of navigating buses, trains and subways, (all
in foreign languages, of course) we pull our suitcases along as we grab a
seat just before the former royal palace and enjoy our first French sunset.

We
don’t have the energy to rove about the city tonight but I am dead set on
finding a shop with my favorite sandwich before I will retire. The Croque
Madame. I dream of this savory delight. Literally. I wake up salivating,
starving for this authentic, French, ham egg and cheese sandwich.

We snag a seat at a quiet café on
the walk to our hotel and have our sandwiches delivered in mere moments. Not
too shabby for our first day here…